


P Factor Aftermath

by CrackheadMossMan



Series: Kirby - Viva Piñata AU [3]
Category: Kirby (Video Games)
Genre: Fluff, Oneshot, Self-Indulgent, The other characters don’t do much, Viva Piñata AU, kirby and MK are the main focus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-18
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-13 20:53:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29532276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrackheadMossMan/pseuds/CrackheadMossMan
Summary: After Kirby’s piñata wins a contest, Kirby sees a not so friendly face there and gets an idea.
Series: Kirby - Viva Piñata AU [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2169591
Kudos: 20





	P Factor Aftermath

**Author's Note:**

> Aren’t I amazing with title names

“You did it, Kirby!” Bandana Dee laughed, scooping up the young gardener and holding them in the air. Kirby squealed with delight, his shellybean happily dancing on the floor knowing they won. 

The P Factor was always a fun time, from what Kirby heard. 

Kirby had just learned about the island’s contests with piñata, which claimed to use talent but it was all in the judges’ personal preference. Kirby had learned about it from Daroach, who had been bragging about his mousemallow and how they won the last contest. After that, they had started asking around more about the P Factor and they all agreed that it was a fun time to meet up with all the other gardeners, either as judges or showing off their pinatas. Though they all also agreed on another thing, even Bandana Dee, who was known to be nearly impossible to get on their bad side: It allowed _every_ one, as long as one owned a piñata, and that brought… one person nobody seemed to like on the Island. 

Kirby could see the s’morepion walk by, but before they could look at their owner, they got distracted. Bandana Dee put Kirby back on the floor, Kirby’s shellybean singing with joy and crawling into the kid’s arms. Kirby laughed, forgetting about it already as Taranza came by, followed by the other contender. 

“Good job, Kirbs!” Taranza laughed, his arocknid, Leggy, begging for Kirby to put his friend, Shelly the Shellybean (or Kirby called them Shelly for short) down. Kirby did as the spider piñata instructed. 

“Didn’t expect you to win your first game, Pinky” Susie said, putting her prosthetic hands on her hips as she smirked a little. Her incredibly rare Salamango, which she called Hotman (Kirby thinks it’s a pun on her last name, but her sense of humor makes it very hard to tell when she’s joking), sniffed Shellybean, before jumping into a play stance and looking towards Susie. Susie gave it a nod, and the three pinatas began to play. 

“It’s ‘cause Shelly is so good!” Kirby giggled, slapping away Bandana Dee’s hands as they tried to scratch the kid’s head, playfully. 

“Probably also because the fact that no sane judge would vote for Meta Knight’s piñata,” Susie chuckled, crossing her arms and nodding her head towards the white s’morepion, who had reached their owner. “Not even someone as chaotic as Marx.”

Kirby frowned, but Bandana Dee and Taranza chuckled. Kirby had no idea Meta Knight even had a piñata, but the white variant of the s’morepion was beautiful to them. “It feels good finally being able to beat him, though. Seriously, I have no idea why he even joins these,” Taranza rambled, arms waving around like a cartoon as they spoke. 

“Probably because he’s trying to figure out which piñata’s candy he wants next,” Susie mumbled, tone going more sour. 

Speaking of sour, Kirby looked back towards Meta Knight and his scorpion piñata. The judges (Magolor, Daroach, Gooey, and Dedede) were all talking amongst each other, and with the other three contendants here, Meta Knight was all alone. Probably what he deserved for hurting all those piñatas, Kirby tried to remind themself. 

...though the young gardener couldn’t help but think back to the last time they saw him. When they were attempting to break open their syrupent. Kirby had hit him with the shovel, knocking him down and breaking the mask. Everytime Kirby looked at, or thought of the infamous Meta Knight, all they could think about were those twisting, eerie, unnatural sour markings running along his face. The young gardener tensed. 

For their entire life, they were told that the worst thing a sour could do was harm you, and the worst thing sour candy could do was make you feel a little under the weather. They always had that anxious voice in the back of their head, asking about the possibility of humans could go sour like pinatas do. Kirby tried not to think about if Meta Knight was the answer to that scary question. Though they still did, since they were still looking at the sour reaper, watching as he kneeled down and pet his loser s’morepion, who appeared upset. 

Kirby wondered if it was possible that a human that somehow turned sour, despite not even being made out of candy, could go back to normal through special methods like a piñata. 

The gears turned in Kirby’s head before they came to a realization. 

“I’m gonna talk to Meta Knight!” Kirby blurted out, determined to learn more about the cryptic sour, and rushed off before Bandana Dee could even call out their name. 

The child tuned out the arguing of his friends trying to figure out what to do, since despite how much they talked about hating Meta Knight, they were still quite scared of the reaper. 

“Hi!” Kirby waved, surprising the reaper as they jumped a little. They didn’t say anything, unsurprisingly, only stared. Their s’morepion cautiously walked up to Kirby, trying to investigate the new person, but Meta Knight gently blocked them from getting any closer with his hand. 

“I like your piñata! They’re very pretty!” Kirby tried again to talk. Meta Knight’s eyes glanced from Kirby, to their friends, still stressing, and back to Kirby. His expression was unreadable, and they didn’t say anything. Though they didn’t leave, that was a good sign. Kirby tried again, even more determined. “I’ve never seen a s’morepion this color before! How did you get it like this?” 

Meta Knight’s eyes looked away, and Kirby assumed he was thinking. Thankfully while he was thinking, the s’morepion walked around his hand and went to inspect Kirby, who held out their hand for them to check out. Kirby giggled as they licked their hand like a barkbark. 

Meta Knight pulled them back gently once more. “...feeding it milk changes the color,” they mumbled, so quietly that Kirby could barely hear them through the mask. They sounded a little shocked. 

It was weird, Kirby thought. They were… much more alike another gardener on the island right now rather than a jerk thief like when a piñata is sick. Meta Knight turned to leave, but Kirby grabbed his cape to make sure he couldn’t disappear. The reaper’s eyes widened a little, in either confusion or surprise. 

“Wait-“ Kirby said, a little bit of desperation tinting their voice. “I want to talk,” they whined. Meta Knight thought about it, eyes drifting to their s’morepion who was already inspecting Kirby again. Kirby took the chance to speak some more. 

“I’ve never seen this piñata before! Where did you get it?” Kirby asked. 

“...they like the heat. Make of that what you will,” Meta Knight mumbled, still sounding slightly confused. The gears in Kirby’s brain turned as they tried to think. 

“Oh! So the Dessert Desert!” 

Meta Knight nodded. Kirby chuckled as the s’morepion walked up his arm. It tickled. Kirby tried to think of another question, happy that this was working decently so far when Meta Knight spoke first.

“You’re a naive fool,” they growled. Kirby’s eyes widened a little, since that came out of nowhere. 

“Why?” Kirby asked, stroking the purring s’morepion along the back. It took Meta Knight a few moments to answer.

“..just because you attempt to be friendly with me, doesn’t mean that you’re an exception. Others have tried this strategy and resort back to violence once it fails,” they explained, eyes narrowing as their tone grew harsh. 

Kirby laughed, surprising the reaper once more. 

“You looked lonely!” Kirby said. That was partially true, but Kirby really just wanted to learn more about Meta Knight so they could help them. The reaper scoffed, looking away. They didn’t believe Kirby. Well then Kirby just had to try harder!

“Why did you join this?” Kirby blurted out, saying the first question that came to mind. “I joined because Daroach said something about all the gardeners doing this, so I wanted to be a real gardener and join,” the child rambled. Meta Knight tapped his fingers against his leg, calling back the s’morepion as he thought. A few moments passed before Kirby got the answer.

“...before… _now_ , I’ve desired entering these with a piñata I’m close with. So I’ve filled that desire, and keep with it,” Meta Knight mumbled some more, scooping up the s’morepion with his hands. 

Kirby nodded to show they were listening. They were surprised Meta Knight hadn’t left. It was nice actually. It was just like talking to another friend on the island, even if he was a piñata smashing jerk. “What’s their name?” Kirby pointed to the s’morepion. Meta Knight answered much quicker this time. 

“Sabre.”

“That’s such a cool name!” Kirby said, waving their hands up and down with excitement. They were enjoying this a lot. They got ready to ask another question, this time aiming for anything Meta Knight particularly liked (...could a human have residential requirements if they were sour? Would that help?) when they felt someone grab their arm and yank them away. 

Kirby shouted in surprise, and looked up to see Dedede protectively holding him away from Meta Knight. 

“Get away from him,” Dedede practically snarled, nothing but pure malice to his tone. Kirby was thankful that Dedede cared about him, but when Kirby tried explaining what was happening, Meta Knight cut him off. 

The reaper bowed smugly, the s’morepion hissing and waving its stinger threateningly. “As you command,” Meta Knight taunted, throwing his cape around himself and Sabre and quickly vanishing. Kirby frowned. 

“Fuckin’ asshole,” Dedede grumbled to himself, letting go of Kirby. Despite the obvious anger in his voice, Kirby noticed how his expression didn’t exactly match. It looked more conflicted and even dejected rather than furious. 

Kirby didn’t have time to answer before getting swarmed by everyone else. 

“Kirby! What we- were you thinking?!” Bandana Dee shouted, quickly rushing over. Susie and Taranza followed over close behind, worried looks on both their masks. 

“Are you okay? I’m- im sorry we didn’t come over he’s just- He’s freaky!” Taranza said, all six arms quickly turning Kirby around and checking for anything wrong as the kid giggled since it tickled.

“Honestly, I just didn’t come because there’s a strict ‘no physical fighting’ rule and I don’t think I can follow it around him,” Susie said, crouching down a little to Kirby’s level to join in making sure if he was okay. 

“I’m fine!” Kirby said, still chuckling a little and slapping the onslaught of worried hands away. 

Kirby heard the familiar noise of a shellybean and gasped happily seeing Shelly. They didn’t hesitate to scoop them up and hold them tight, stroking their colorful shell. 

Dedede crossed his arms and huffed. “Don’t do that again, kid. He works for Nightmare, and ya’ don’t even know how awful they are, yet,” he scolded, and Kirby nodded, knowing that he wouldn’t stay true to it. 

“I won’t!” Kirby lied, though it seemed to trick Dedede. Dedede sighed, mumbling something about Kirby being a naive kid, and walked off. 

“...how about we walk you back to the garden, Kirby? To take your mind off this?” Taranza suggested, the dorky smile from under their mask making the young gardener smile brightly. Susie and Bandana Dee nodded, showing that they wouldn’t mind walking Kirby back either. 

Still holding his shellybean, Kirby nodded and agreed with a bright smile. He made so much progress today, with being a gardener and maybe even making a new friend! He didn’t want to take his mind off that, but a walk with friends is something he couldn’t say no to!


End file.
